Toothbrush



, Aug. 31, 1926.

. R. H. VAN SANT TOOTHBRUSH Filed May 23 I 1925 vPatented '-Aug. 31, 1926.

UNITED STATES fROBERTJH. VAN SANT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ToorHBRUsrr.

Application filed lMay 23, 1925; Serial No. 32,239.

This invention relates to a tooth brush and the method of manufacture thereof. It is an object of this invention to-provide an improved tooth brush wherein aseries of suction and force cups are formed with central groups of bristles adapted to dislodge foreign matterfrom crevices and the spaces between the teeth while the uid pumping action of the cups serves to discharge the dislodged particles from. the fcrevices.

It is' also an object of this invent-ion to provide improved tooth brushes of the type mentioned wherein a sheath of suitable ma- Vterial forming the cups' is disposed upon a handle in such a way as to provide a unitary closure for that part of the brush proper entering themouth.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel method of manufacturing tooth brushes of the class described.

Other and further important objects of this invention will vbe apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

This invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings: Figure 1 o 1s a side view of ka completed tooth brush embodying the features of this invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof. Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the vbrush end taken on the line III-III of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-section on the line IV--IV of Figure 1.

Figure 5 isa plan view of a. 'modilied form of this invention. As shown on the drawings:

A tooth brush handle 10 of'conventional shape is shown in the drawings, the brush end 11 thereof being of reduced section having a series of medial recesses 12 to receive bunches of bristles. The handle as a whole may be molded from a variety of materials such as Celluloid, rubber, or one vofthe many phenol condensation advantageous from the consumers point 'of viewl to use a more or less Hexible material .for the handlesuch use is not essential.

'fitting over the reduced section 11 of the handle and carrying a series-of'deep suction products.. While it .is-

The. brush proper comprises a sheath 13 disposed in a cup and extending upwardly the tooth brush of this invention is to mold the handle 10, with: the recesses l2 in the reduced section 11 thereof `and to separately mold the much softer brush section or sheath with suitable apertures adapted to register' with the handle recesses 12 when the sheath is slipped thereover. After asv The sheathl is pref- -erably molded of a flexible or soft grade of ymay have a squeegee action and conform to sembling the sheath on the'handle a fer-rule 16 is placed thereon at the junction with the enlarged handle. The bristles are then cemented into place in the'cups and handle.

If desired the sheath may be molded directly on the handle with the bristles already in place; or the bristles inserted after molding to prevent possible injury thereto by the vulcanizing process.

The. cupped membersv 15 serve as a squeegee or scraper for removing forelgn matter from the teeth and/gums and also as forceY- and back tles entering the crevices and dislodging vacuumcups to pump cleansingL fluid and forth between the teeth, the bris-l foreign matter which is ejected by the pumping action of the cups. The modification shown 'in Figure 5 comprises a handle 17 having a single row of bristles. 18 arranged thereon, together with a single elongated -cup 19 enclosing all thel bristles. Therim 20 of the cup has a scraping action similar to the rims of the individualrcups 15.

I am aware that many changes may be .made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range with-` out departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore d `n'ot purpose,

wise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claiml as my invention 1. As an article of manufacture a tooth i `limiting thepatent granted hereon, otherbrush portion, andl groups of bristles project-ing through said sheath into the handle. 2. As an article of manufacture a tooth brush comprising a handle having a brush 5 receiving section, a sheath encompassing said section, suction cups formed on said sheath, and bristles centrally disposed in I said cups.

3. A toothbrush comprising ahandle havi 10 ing a brush receiving element, a soft rubber 'subscribed by sheath adapted to slip over said element, a ferrule clamping the en d of said sheath to the handle, a series of suction cups formed on said sheath, and a group of bristles centrally disposed in each cup and extending through the sheath into the brush receiving v element.

[n testimony whereof I have hereunto name.

ROBERT H. VAN SANT. 

